Banning

I've noticed that sometimes the word "ban" is used when they really mean "not offer". For example, when the City of Toronto was talking about banning bottled water, what they really meant was not selling bottled water on city property. That isn't a ban. (Banning would be not allowing it in the city, which would be a very bad idea.) That's just not offering it. If they don't sell, say, bubble tea on city property that doesn't mean that bubble tea is banned.

A couple years back they were talking about banning the air show (I think the one at the CNE?) on the basis that it's loud and polluting and militaristic. But they didn't actually mean ban it, they just meant let's not organize an air show next year. That's really no big deal at all. People don't organize air shows all the time. I'll bet you're not organizing one right now.

"Ban" is a poor word choice in these circumstances. It's so loud and dramatic that you instinctively rebel against it if you don't think the thing being allegedly banned is necessarily a problem. If you want a water bottle and someone says "Oh, we've banned bottled water," some gut instinct has you slightly rebelling, arguing, feeling attacked, hoarding water bottles for next time. But if they just say "Sorry, we don't have any water bottles available here. There's a drinking fountain over there though," then that is what it is, no big deal.